Memory in Moroccan Jewish Novels: A Qualitative Reading of the Past in Ruth Knafo Setton’s the Road to Fez

Abstract

Abstract

Memory studies have been instrumental in historical comprehension, yet Moroccan Jewish narratives offer a distinctive avenue for understanding history. Embracing Halbwach’s (1992) multifocal approach to autobiographical memory, this novel perspective considers memory as a blend of individual and cultural construction. Memory reconstruction, as examined through Ruth Knafo Setton’ The Road to Fez serves as a counter discourse to historiography historical forces, especially in the context of post-colonial Morocco’s historiographical silence. Aomar Boum’s (2013) inquiry becomes pertinent in unravelling how much of the past endures. Delving into the textual representation of Moroccan Jewishness, the article explores how it triggers the writer’s memories, identities, and histories. Adopting a space/place perspective, the study interprets the novel as a mediator of memory, scrutinizing the locations and symbols of identification that facilitate Ruth Knafo’s journey back to her Moroccan roots after leaving America. Utilizing the life writing category, encompassing autobiography, biography, and more, the narrative embodies the writer’s nostalgic yearning for her homeland. This exploration contributes to the memorial possibilities of the Moroccan Jewish Diaspora, unveiling the complexities and anxieties inherent in a micro history shaped by the collection and recollection of memories from those who departed Morocco. In contrast to oversimplified narratives, this article seeks to unveil nuanced angles, acknowledging the intricate viewpoints embedded in the narrative.

Keywords : Memory, identity, history, historiography, exile, national narratives, homeland, return.